Apathy

Jay's stomach twisted, snatching him from the comfort of his dreamless sleep. He curled around himself, feeling groggy and sick. Ow...

"You're awake!"

Jay opened his eyes and saw Merv kneeling over him, the skin around her blue eyes crinkled with worry.

"Good morning," Jay said hoarsely.

"It's the afternoon, Jay," Pixal said. "You've been asleep for over twelve hours."

"Really?" Jay rubbed his eyes. "I don't feel any better for it. I wonder what kind of drug they used on us."

"A harmless one," Pixal said. "One that should have only knocked you out for five, six hours at the most."

"I must have been overdosed."

Pixal crouched over him, frowning. "Senzo didn't know that you weigh about as much as a kitten. He probably gave you the same dosage he gave Cole. Which would be too much for your fragile system."

"That's a bit harsh," Jay said. With Merv's help he sat up, stretching his prosthetic leg in front of him. His nose felt as stuffy and clogged as his head. Ow, ow, ow.

Pixal looked prepared to argue back, but she closed her mouth, shaking her head, and turned away.

"I...saved you some food," Merv said, breaking the silence.

Jay accepted it hesitantly. "Thanks," he said. "I'm not really hungry-"

Pixal threw a spoon at his face. "Shut up and eat."

Merv sent Pixal a harsh look and positioned herself in front of Jay, shielding him from any further attack.

Jay dipped the spoon into the bowl. "What is it?" he asked.

"Bird," Merv said. "A...rare meat. What is that called?"

"Delicacy," Jay answered. "Bird is a delicacy here?"

"Delicacy. Yes. Because it is so hard to hunt. Most of the people here eat fish from the ocean."

"Huh. So why do I get to eat a delicacy?"

"Because apparently, even as a prisoner, Merv is respected here," Pixal said. "She asked one of our guards to fetch it for our breakfast."

Merv blushed. "I thought you would like it better than fish," she said quietly.

Jay sighed. If this was some ploy to guilt trip him, it was working. He ate a spoonful, chewing slowly. It was...sweet, like it had been cooked in coconut milk. A little salty, too.

He tried to swallow, but it triggered his gag reflexes. He hit his chest to force it down, coughing.

Merv gave him a water cup. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Jay nodded, drinking several long gulps of water to get the bite down. "S-Sorry," he said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "I just...I can't eat."

"You will eat." Pixal approached again, folding her arms. "Your body needs-"

"Just be quiet!" Jay threw the bowl, its contents splattering across the floor. "I can't, okay? Leave me alone! It's my own body!"

"And it's our freedom, Jay." Pixal knelt next to him and squeezed his shoulder. "I don't want to carry you out of here. You have to regain some strength for when we escape."

"But-"

"No buts!" Pixal said. "Jay. Don't you get it? Who knows how much time we have left? An hour from now we could get put in separate cells and never find each other again. I can't let that happen. So you have to cooperate for the sake of the team. Think of Merv! Do you want her to be stuck down here forever because of your weakness? How about Kai? Or even Cole?"

Seeing the stunned look on Jay's face, Pixal relaxed a little. She sat next to Merv.

"We've been lying to you, Jay," Pixal said. "We've been trying to comfort you and tell you that you aren't useless. But you want to hear the truth?"

No. Jay swallowed.

"You're more than useless. You're a drag. You aren't taking care of yourself. You have us all worrying about you. Taking care of you, centering our escape plan around you. It doesn't work that way."

"Pixal, no," Merv said. "Don't talk to him like that."

"Stop it, Merv." Pixal leaned forward, drilling Jay with a hard stare. "Jay, are you a man?"

"Umm...yes?"

"Then why are you forcing me to take the lead?" Pixal threw her arms wide. "I hate being a leader. That's why I ran away in the first place. But now, instead of playing aristocrat at parties and sitting in budget meetings, I'm stuck babysitting you! You, a self-pitying brat who won't grow up and face the truth."

What was it that Lloyd told me about Pixal being a sweet girl? Jay wondered. Drawing his arms close, he spoke as steadily as he could.

"What would...this truth be?"

Pixal's eyes narrowed. "You're John Keith, and this island is your dominion. So, are you going to let the Overlord keep it for another fifteen years?"

"Of course not!"

"Oh, so you have a plan?" Pixal pointed a manicured fingernail at Jay's chest. "Then what is it?"

Jay rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes. "You see, I... I'm not..."

Smart move. Just blurt out some promise you can't keep, Jay. That'll calm her down.

"You're a fool," Pixal said. "A self-centered, spineless fool. You need to grow up and-"

"Stop it." Merv's head was low and her shoulders hunched, making her seem smaller than she really was. Her knuckles went white as her hands clenched.

"Stop it!" she said again, voice wavering as she tried to hold back her tears. "Pixal, how will this help him get better?"

"We've tried kindness," Pixal said evenly. "It isn't working. Our time is up, and we can't wait for him to feel like getting better. We have to push him forward. I'm sorry."

Jay scratched his nose, shrugging. "It's all right, Merv. Thanks for caring. But I guess Pixal's right."

He forced a smile. "I need to grow up."

Somehow, this didn't seem to be the response Pixal wanted. She looked away, lips pursed.

Jay made to stand, reaching for Stormstrider's power reserve.

Nothing.

Right... He'd used the last of Stormstrider's power fighting stone warriors the night before.

He took a deep breath and stood anyway, holding the wall for support. His leg actually felt better. He could stand on it without-

An immense weight pressed down on his temples, and black spots flooded his vision. Blinded and dizzy, he stumbled, hands grasping the air.

Somehow Merv and Pixal caught him, and they set him back on the floor.

"What in Una's name were you thinking, idiot?"

Jay's vision returned in spots. Pixal was looking down on him, her face red.

"I...I was just trying to pick up my mess," Jay said, rubbing his forehead.

Pixal slammed her palm on his chest, forcing him onto his back. "Grow a brain," she snapped. "You haven't eaten in days. You just woke up from a drug overdose. Your Blade isn't working. And you think you can just jump up and walk? You're-"

Merv grabbed Pixal's shirt and twisted her around. The Nindroid stared dumbly into Merv's angry eyes.

"Go to your corner," Merv said firmly. "Face the wall. I don't want to hear another word from you until you can find something nice to say to Jay."

Spoken like a true mother, Jay thought wryly.

Pixal's feet said yes, and her expression said no. It was as though some supernatural entity had forced Pixal's body to obey. She walked smoothly to the furthest corner from them and sat, legs crossed, staring at the wall without a word of objection.

"Merv, please," Jay said. "I don't like this. Can't we just get along? Let her-"

"No!" Merv wiped her eyes. "She is stressed. She needs time to collect her thoughts. Please..." She sniffed. "Just, please don't let her talk to you like that!"

"But it's true."

"It's a stretched, angry half-truth," Merv said. "Just hold still and don't think about her. Okay?"

Not thinking of Pixal's wrath is kinda impossible, Jay thought. But, feeling sick for reasons unrelated to hunger, he nodded.

It seemed that, out of the three of them, Merv was the only one 'grown up' enough to stand up and take control.

What a fantastic situation.

Besai sat in Merv's old room, feet dangling off the edge of the dusty, unused bed. Her eyes had long since gone dry, leaving her spirit broken and empty.

She'd thought some time away from Kai was what she needed; some time with her own thoughts, time to sort out her feelings. Fear, guilt, anxiety. Love, hope, passion.

Lost. Besai felt lost. Wandering without direction between her conflicted, inconsistent feelings, feeling them strike her at random, confusing her.

Am I insane? she wondered fearfully.

No, not insane. In love.

If that is so, then why can I not be brave enough to talk to him? She started braiding a lock of her hair.

Am I afraid because I care what he thinks of me? That was an interesting thought. I…am not afraid because I think he will hurt me physically. I am afraid because I know what he might do to my heart.

Eventually, he will tell me what he feels for me. And I am afraid of his answer. And so I sit here, delaying the inevitable.

Somehow, figuring this out did not make her feel better.

She undid her finished braid and began working again. I will have to get up and face him sooner or later. I might as well do it now, so I can stop swimming in uncertainty.

Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hair and stood, bare feet hardly making a sound on the dusty stone floor, and exited the room.

Cole's sleep was fitful, filled with the voices and faces of those he had hurt.

His mother, Aika, with her gentle blue eyes and beautiful, melancholic voice, whispering in his ear:

Why didn't you save me, son?

Varasach. Dear, precious Vara, with her hands blackened from gangrene, reaching for him.

You left me... she whispered hoarsely, lungs filled with fluid. I was dying. Why did you leave?

His father, choking Cole with his bare hands, snarling. You're no son of mine. Don't you see the pain you've caused?

But the one that hurt Cole worst was Kai, who wandered with dead eyes; lost, alone, afraid.

I can help you, Kai! Cole called out, running after his friend. I'll help you! Just come to me!

But the faster Cole ran, the further away Kai drifted. The more he shouted, the weaker his voice became. Until at last, his legs became like lead and he could not move another step. And his voice became ragged; he stopped shouting, unable to catch his breath.

Kai continued to wander until he was nothing more than a speck in the darkened distance.

And then he disappeared.

No, Kai...

An infant wailed, startling Cole. Via! he thought, attempting to turn around. Please, Via, don't cry.

His feet were too heavy. He was stuck in place, unable to find and soothe her.

No, he realized, that's not Via. That's…Chedva!

"Cole," a woman's voice whispered, moving past his ears like a breeze. "It is all right. Wake up."

More crying. More of Kai's dead eyes, suddenly right there in front of him. Vara's hands reaching, grabbing, shaking his body. Father strangling him.

"Cole! Wake up!"

Cole opened his eyes with a gasp. The first thing he saw was a woman with wide gray eyes. She knelt over him, her hands on his chest.

Sage, he tried to say, though it came out as a croak. His throat throbbed in time with his heartbeat.

Sage smiled at him timidly, sitting back on her knees, hands on her lap. "I am sorry," she said. "You looked distressed, so I woke you."

There were so many thoughts and emotions inside of Cole that he had locked away after Sage's 'death'. Emotions that he had been afraid to feel. To remember.

But now, each and every neglected emotion rose to the surface, and tears filled his eyes as he sat upright. He opened his arms to her, and she embraced him, sniffling quietly as she buried her nose in his disheveled hair.

"You have no idea what you put me through," Sage whispered in his ear tearily. "I had thought you meant what you said with that poem. That you were going to..." She trailed off.

Cole closed his eyes, a wave of guilt tainting his joyous spirit. He knew which poem she was talking about: I am not good, I am not brave, I am not strong, I stay a little longer, just to end my final song... There had been more, but Cole tried not to think about it too much. Those had been his last words to her before Overlord drove his Blade through her heart. A declaration that when she died, he would commit suicide.

And he would have, too, if not for Kai's intervention.

"Did you?" Sage asked. "Did you try?"

Cole nodded, a broken sob mixing with a sigh in his chest. "I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Selfish idiot." Sage pulled away, still smiling, but sadly. "I love you."

Cole pulled her into his arms again, head on her shoulder. Her warm body, once firm and strong, now felt delicate. Like the only thing holding her together was her skin, which clung to her bones like an ill-fitting dress, accentuating her jutting ribs, hips, and every other part of her that should have held more substance. She's skinnier than Jay.

She'd been in that coma for so long! How had Overlord kept her alive? Why had he kept her alive? Was Cole worth that much to him?

"I love you, Sage," he said, turning his head to kiss her neck. "I'm so, so sorry. I love you."

Sage began weeping into his collar without restraint, clinging to his back with desperate fingers. "I missed you, Coleman."

Cole clung right back, using her noise to shield his own quieter cries: yes, they were alone, but old habits died hard. He still felt uncomfortable exposing his emotions.

Sage would never leave his sight again. He would protect her- and their baby- with his life. They were a family. And though the Overlord could try to tear them apart, he would fail.

On the floor behind Sage, Chedva began to cry.

Oh, that child… Cole sighed, forcing his feelings back into order.

Sage pulled away slightly, wiping her eyes. "I do not know what to do with her," she said, still sobbing. "I have no water to make milk. She is hungry."

"Here, let me see her." Cole took Chedva in his arms and started humming Via's lullaby.

Chedva tensed, wailing louder.

Cole cursed silently. Of course this would happen. Overlord sung the song, and now Chedva hates it. I'll have to come up with something else…

"Uhh," Cole wracked his brain and ad-libbed a rhyme and tune. "Under the moon in bowers high…A sparrow sings a lullaby."

Chedva listened, her lower lip protruding. Sage stroked her fuzz of black hair, and Cole continued.

"The…gentle wind, it lends its voice…strumming its branches...tenderly?" He said the last part with a sigh of frustration. "I'm no wordsmith. That was Mother's thing."

"It is all right," Sage said. "Look, she is quiet now."

"Yeah…" Cole leaned against the wall, sullen.

Sage sat next to him and touched his chin. "Do not be upset. I liked it. Your voice is very lovely." She kissed him.

Cole returned the kiss, closing his eyes. It was difficult to stay upset for long with her around, and he quickly put the failed lyrics out of his mind.

The tune to his lullaby, however, was not so easily dissuaded. After all, he was a composer. Not a poet.

An idea for a new song- instrumental, probably just piano- bloomed in his mind, and he knew there was no discouraging it.

You are my everything, he thought, gears turning as they separated, staring deeply into each other's eyes. My everything.

Kai could not sleep.

The one lantern in the room burned low, giving shape to a few of the larger things in the room: the sconce which it sat in. The shelf filled with vials of oils. The door, which Besai had left open a crack when she'd left just over an hour ago.

Kai wanted more than anything to go find her. Comfort her. But he didn't. Because, well, why would she want him? He'd broken her heart. Did apologizing over a broken cup magically heal it? No. So what was the point of apologizing over a broken heart? It would only hurt her more. Like stepping on her already broken pieces, shattering them further.

He stiffly rolled over, facing the wall. The picture of how Besai had left, her body slouched like a withering flower, would not leave his mind. Sarnai, he realized. That's her real name. It means Rose. Like the flower.

I never was a very good gardener, no matter how hard I tried. He felt his face and realized he was crying. That was always Nya's thing. With all her flowers and shrubs, all day long she'd be out there, taking such good care of them. Why can't I...

He pressed his eyes shut, then reopened them, holding his arms in the light.

His hand was still clenched shut. It had been days. Could he open it, if he tried?

Yes...yes, he could.

"Fish," Jay observed, accepting a bowl from Merv. Claws of hunger raked his stomach, though the thought of eating only made him feel worse. "Mmm. Looks...fishy."

"It has some vegetables in it, too," Merv said. "Take little bites. Maybe you will be able to swallow better that way."

"Thank you, Merv," Jay said, smiling. "You ask much nicer than the Nindroid over there." He gestured to Pixal, who had fallen asleep in her corner. She still hadn't apologized for her temper earlier.

"Mm." Merv pursed her lips, hiding a smile. "Yes. You're welcome."

Jay chewed his first salty bite slowly, watching Merv's face as she used her fingers to eat from her own small bowl.

A lot about her had changed since they were kids. It wasn't just her physical maturity. Nor was it her scars, which colored her arms, hands, face, and neck, extending to the borders of her clothing and likely beneath; her whole body had been engulfed in flames by that collapsed wall, after all.

No, the change was in her eyes, her shoulders. No matter what setting she was in, sitting or walking, she slumped, as if beaten down by a great weight. Her eyes, once bright and cheerful, were misty, veiled, and distant. Like...well, like mist, hanging over the lake. Beautiful and blue, but at the same time somber and dark.

Merv seemed to be making a similar evaluation of Jay.

"You are not the same boy I was friends with fifteen years ago," she said.

Swallowing his food went against every instinct Jay had honed. But he did, shuddering as it went down. "You're not the same girl, either," he replied.

"No. I'm not," Merv said. "But I like to think that my past has made me stronger. You..." She took his hand. "...you are letting your past beat you down. You are letting shame and self-pity cloud your judgement. Please, just...learn to let it go."

Her words hurt worse than Overlord's Blade.

But don't you remember, letting go is what made me lose you, Merv. Jay reached out and gripped her hand tightly as images of that fiery night filled his mind. The narrow passages between buildings, clouded with smoke. The unstable brick wall.

John! We left Sarnai at the mansion! We have to go back!

No, Merv. Father told us to run. Hey- Merv! No, come back!

He'd let go of her hand.

The same hand that was now lumpy and discolored from burn scars.

Merv seemed to understand the turmoil in his heart, because her eyes flooded with tears, and she sniffled. "I have...often wondered about that night. About how it could have ended differently, if I had not tried to go back for Bes- umm, Sarnai. I could have been with you. I would not have spent all those years doing unspeakable things with Overlord. I would still have pretty skin."

"Don't think like that, Merv," Jay said. He held her hand in front of his face and, not for the first time, inspected it. "Your skin is pretty."

"No, it isn't."

"You know cherry blossoms?" Jay asked. "Some are white, some are pink. It's just like your skin. And remember your mother's lilies?"

Merv nodded.

"Your skin also reminds me of those white ones. You know, with the pink stripes, and the little brown spots in them."

Merv's brow crinkled, and she bit her lip. "He always told me I was ugly," she said. "I was the one he hurt when he was angry. Because he did not care if I died. I have no worth."

"Do you actually believe him?"

"...Sometimes."

Jay pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead. "Don't ever do that again. You're the prettiest girl I know." He pushed aside an image of Nya's smiling face and continued. "I really hope one day you'll meet a man who sees you the same way I do."

Suddenly, Merv was crying into his shirt. "S-So many times," she sobbed. "I thought I would die. Broken bones, a-and blood...so much blood. So many times, I was almost dead. Because he did not care about me. He would almost kill me when he was angry. He...he would take his Blade and-"

"Shh!" Jay closed his eyes. Dear First King! Overlord cut her with his Blade? The pain and suffering involved in such a torture were limitless. Because he could always heal her up again after he was done bleeding her out. No matter where he cut. Overlord will pay for this…

"I-I can't go back!" Merv cried. "I can't be here again! John, p-please get me out!"

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Jay asked, forcing himself to stay calm for her sake. "I could have helped you through this. You could have had some counseling."

"I just wanted to forget. I did not want to think about it."

"Well, it's okay now, Merv," Jay said. "You're mine, and I'll protect you. Overlord can't touch you."

Someone applauded outside the cell. Merv clung to Jay's shirt, gasping.

"Such a perfect big brother," Overlord said, opening the door. "But why make a promise you don't have the power to keep?"

Jay drew his Blade as the short, green-eyed man stepped into the cell. "I was wondering when you'd show up," he growled. "And I meant what I said. You will not touch her."

Overlord froze in his tracks, stone-faced.

"He is angry," Merv whispered. "Very angry."

"I can hear you, girl," Overlord said. Feet moving again, he took Merv by the arm and lifted her to her feet. He took her head in his hands and kissed her lips.

Merv froze, but did not struggle. No, she seemed to be moving with the kiss a little. Trying to please the Overlord out of fear?

Jay ground his teeth together as he struggled to stand. How was Pixal sleeping through this? I'm so useless. Already I'm breaking my promise to keep her safe.

Overlord pulled away, his smile dark and sinister. "You have nothing to worry about, John," he said softly. "I have no intention of taking Merv back. I gave her to you. Her fate is yours." He thumbed her teary cheek, then let go and stepped back. "But I had to do that once more. Just for old time's sake."

Leaning on the wall for support, Jay held out a hand to Merv. She eventually pulled herself out of her trance and- shaking, breathing hard- sped into his arms.

"What do you want me for?" Jay asked, Merv still and tense in his grip.

"Security," Overlord said. "Honestly, for this job, anyone would have worked. But Senzo picked you up." He looked at Stormstrider, frowning. "That fool of a boy. I need to talk to him."

"Don't hurt him." Jay dropped his Blade- it was only as long as his hand, and was ineffective against anything the Overlord could throw at him. Besides: if he surrendered, Overlord might leave Merv alone.

"I will do as I please," Overlord said. "What Cimmerian did, leaving you Knights with your Blades, is an inexcusable crime. He clearly hopes that you will fight back. Pity, he'll be disappointed." He backed up a few steps, setting his hand on the door. "I'll soon break this rebellious spirit of his."

"Why did you come here?" Jay asked. "To gloat? To remind us how powerless we are?"

Overlord snapped his fingers, snarling. "Oh, yes! I'd forgotten!" He crossed the room in a few steps and slapped Jay's cheek with such force that the ex-nobleman's head jerked back, hitting the wall. "How stupid of me! I'm not supposed to be gentle with my prisoners! I hope you can forgive my oversight." He snatched up Jay's Blade and slipped it into a pocket in his cloak.

"Enjoy your stay," he said. "It's going to be a long one." Turning sharply on his heel he left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Black spots overcoming his vision, Jay collapsed. Merv did not catch him in time, and he hit the floor, falling unconscious.

Besai tentatively pushed her door open and stepped inside. One of the two lanterns had gone out, but she left it alone. Her hands trembled at her sides. Her pulse pounded in her ears. With each step toward Kai- who sat facing the wall- her legs became heavier.

But she persevered, finally gathering enough courage to sit close behind him. She reached out to touch his shoulder

There was a sharp hiss of pain from Kai.

Besai jerked away with a gasp. Did I do that? she thought, alarmed. How? I didn't even touch him!

Kai's head was bent low, his whole attention on something in his hands. Or, at least, he pretended that way. She guessed that he was purposely pretending she was not there.

Besai wiped her eyes, sniffling. She looked down.

He was probably angry with her. There had been so many opportunities for her to tell him about the tattoo. But every time, caught up in the blind, blissful romance, she had shunned the thought. Because it hadn't mattered anymore- they had been safe. He hasn't needed to know.

But now they weren't safe, and Kai was paying the ultimate price for her procrastination.

"I'm sorry, Besai," Kai whispered hoarsely.

Besai lifted her eyes as Kai shifted on his seat, turning to face her. His dark eyes glistened with tears.

"I am…sorry, too," Besai said, confused. "Did I hurt you just now?"

Kai shook his head, then hesitated. "Can I…have your hand?" he asked.

Besai lifted her hand and- after a few heartbeats of hesitation- set it in his open palm.

He turned her hand over and set something warm in it.

"My most precious treasure," he said, closing her fingers around it. "I kept it, hoping that maybe, when I found you again, you would forgive me. But...that won't happen, I think. So, here you go. It's yours."

A lump rose in Besai's throat, and she let out a soft sob.

It was his earring. Wet with fresh blood, it glinted like a sunset as she held it to the light. "Where did the blood come from?" she asked.

"It…kind of got embedded in my palm," Kai said. "You can do what you want with it, Besai. Keep it, to remember what we had once upon a time. Or throw it away and forget. Or..." He faltered, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "...maybe, one day, if you're brave enough, you could give it back to me."

His eyes were deep and hopeful, wavering as they struggled to keep her gaze. "We could try to start over," he whispered. "Fall in love again."

Besai closed her fist around the earring, struggling to contain her many clashing emotions.

"Why?" she asked. "Why would you let me decide?"

Kai was silent for a while. Then he shrugged. "Because I trust you. Take your time. And...choose the answer that will make you happy. Don't worry about me." His hand hovered for a moment before resting lightly on her cheek.

Do you still love me? Besai had asked Kai while they were in the White Rose. She had been delirious that night, afraid that she was about to die.

Always, Kai had replied. I made a promise to you last night. We are one, Besai. You are mine, and I am yours.

Look at me. Look at me and promise. Please.

Forever, Besai. I will never stop loving you. He had stroked her cheek with a warm, tender hand. Even the Overlord can't separate us.

Besai's months with Kai had been the happiest time of her life. And now she realized she wasn't willing to give them up so easily.

The rings represent eternity, Cyrus had said. Love that never ends. A life united forever.

The center of the earring. It is not an empty space. It is a door that will lead you to new places. Places of happiness and peace, and places of sorrow and grief. Places known and unknown. Expected and unexpected.

Besai had made her vows while feverish and near death in a hospital, lovestruck by the man who had rescued her from captivity. What did that say about their relationship? Did she feel any different for him now than she did then?

No. Not at all.

Kai's hopeful expression wilted. "Why...are you so afraid of me?" he asked. "It seems like, earlier today, you expected me to abuse you. What did I ever do to you to make you feel like that?"

Besai felt the heat of Kai's hand, still raised to her cheek. She felt a twinge of pregnancy sickness, and she took a breath to calm it. "I…don't know why I feel like this," she said. "But it is not your fault."

Kai pulled away, leaving enough distance between them that he could not reach out and touch her again. "It's this place," he murmured. "It brings back all sorts of horrible memories from your fifteen years here, and it has you at your wit's end."

Hesitantly, Besai nodded.

"It's all right," Kai said. "If it's any comfort, you're not alone in this. I mean, Overlord has...hurt me." His face lost its color. "Four times, as of yesterday afternoon. I only remember three, but Kyle said there was one more. I must have blocked it out" He cleared his throat.

"Anyways, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm really sorry for what I did to you. I've only been here a few days and I'm losing my head. You put up with him for fifteen years. That's not something you can just forget about. So what I did to you, so soon after I'd rescued you…"

He was finally opening up, Besai realized with wonder and relief. She could sense some of his old mannerisms slowly returning as he spoke.

"I'm…I'm really sorry, Besai." Kai leaned in too, searching her eyes intently. Desperately. "I know it's a lot to ask, but…could you please, possibly, forgive me?"

...Is he apologizing for sleeping with me at his father's keep? Besai wondered. This is what has him feeling so guilty? That was so long ago!

Besai leaned closer to Kai, his earring still tucked away in her hand. "Kai," she whispered. "I was ready."

"How?" Kai asked, wrinkled forehead betraying his disbelief. "I could never-"

The door's latch clicked, and Besai's heart skipped a beat.

Overlord stepped briskly into the room. His eyes landed on Kai and Besai, and his face reddened. "You asinine fools," he hissed. He muttered a few more words quietly under his breath as he shut the door behind him.

"Start a bath, Besai," he ordered, lighting another lantern. "Hurry. I won't go near Sanguine when he smells like that."

Besai did not move. Whether she was paralyzed with terror, or just not willing to comply, she did not know. Maybe it was a little of both.

Overlord gave her a hard stare. "Besai! Must I repeat myself? Why aren't you obeying me?"

"Besai," Kai whispered, sweat on his brow. "Please, don't fight this. I don't want him to hurt you."

Besai still did not move. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, making it difficult to breathe calmly.

Overlord approached swiftly, kicking Kai aside, and lifted Besai by her hair.

"Ugly wench," he spat, throwing her to the floor. "How has he done it? How?"

Pain surged through Besai's neck, and she rolled onto her back. "I do not understand," she said, falling back into the Dark Tongue. A force of habit.

Overlord answered in the same language. "You have been with him for hardly two months." He kicked her side viciously. "Even so, he has ruined you. Fifteen years of my hard work, destroyed."

Besai's first instinct was to curl around her stomach. She did so, covering her face with her arms.

"You have grown far too rebellious." Overlord snatched her wrist and pulled her to her feet. "Far too..." He trailed off, inhaling through his nose.

"Oh, my," he said, changing his tongue again, sniffing Besai's hair. He laughed. "You didn't!"

"Didn't...what?" Kai stood, keeping his distance.

Overlord let her go, still chuckling as she fell again to the floor. "Ooh, the scent is strong," he said. "How long ago did this happen? Two weeks? Three? Ha! Her body was still recovering from the plague, Sanguine, you naughty boy."

Kai's eyes widened, and he looked to Besai for confirmation. "You...aren't," he said, his tone uncertain.

He was not supposed to find out. Not like this.

The tears rolled down Besai's cheeks with renewed force. She nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "Yes," she said softly. "I could...feel sometheen. So..." Her chest quivered with a light sob. "...Cyrus tested my blood, on the day you were lost een the storm."

Overlord approached Kai, grinning. "Only weeks after starting a plague, and mere days after your wife's recovery from said plague, you impregnated her. I already knew humans had tiny brains, but really? This is a new low."

Kai shied away from the Overlord's outstretched hand. "Both Besai and I had our blood examined for the ECS," he said. "Our Nurse said it was safe."

Overlord leaped forward with sudden speed and grabbed Kai by his shirt collar. "I don't care," he said, expression flat. "What I do know is tomorrow is a particularly busy day of the year for me. I should be in the Transformation room, helping my stone warriors prepare for the next batch. But instead, I'm in here. Do you want to know why?"

Besai saw terror on Kai's face like she'd never seen before. It was the look of a wounded, cornered animal staring into the eyes of the hunter, knowing it had moments left to live.

"Because you and Besai need to be taught a lesson!" Overlord roared. "I don't know what you think you're doing, trying to mend your relationship, but it cannot- will not- happen!"

He crossed the room, dropping Kai into a round hole in the floor- the washtub. His voice became abruptly calm. "Those levers control the water temperature. Wash yourself. I will be back in a few minutes. Come, Besai."

Besai followed Overlord to the door.

"Wh-Where are you taking her?" Kai asked, scrambling to his feet.

Overlord unlocked the door, eyes hard, his back to Kai. "I could just kill her, like I killed the Nindroid," he said. "But that would not be as much fun."

"P-Please, don't hurt her." Kai started to push himself out of the tub. "I won't-"

"Stay in there!" Overlord snapped. "I am taking her to the water chamber. She will come back to you tomorrow."

Besai tried to give Kai a reassuring look- this was not the first time she'd been to the water chamber, and she could handle it. But Overlord grabbed the back of her neck and turned her head, guiding her forcibly from the room. He shut the door.

"He can't protect you," Overlord said, making his way down the hall, Besai following without a choice. "You or your child. You are alone. He doesn't care enough to fight me. And neither should you."

Tears spilling from her eyes, Besai nodded. I won't stop trying, Kai, she thought. I know it is hopeless, but…I will try.

"Tomorrow was supposed to be the day," Amzi said, clicking his rocks together as they walked.

Ilka looked up from her plodding feet. "Hmm?"

Amzi gestured to a boulder beside the flooded river. "I was supposed to be Transformed. Never did I think that I would end up here instead."

Ilka nodded. They walked a ways behind Galya and the others. It was still raining, though it seemed to be slowing a little.

Amzi hesitated, looking up at the darkened noonday sky. "Do you think the Master has noticed our escape?"

Ilka shook her head. "He does not keep a thorough roster," she explained. "Slaves are killed every day by sickness and stone warriors. No one will think anything about us."

"Hey!" Galya shouted over the clashing thunder. "Keep up, you two. We're almost there."

Amzi smiled at Ilka shyly. "Thank you for freeing me, uhma." Friend.

Ilka blushed. "You're welcome," she said, wrapping her arms around herself, shivering from the cold. She could not wait to get to their destination- there they would have shelter and fire. Warmth.

Until then, she would have to make do with what little warmth she-

Amzi wrapped a tentative arm around her waist, pulling her close as they trudged up a sandy hill. "I can't wait to leave this place," he whispered in her ear. "Maybe...we could still be friends when we get there. Would you like that?"

Ilka lowered her eyes guiltily. I won't be going with you, she wanted to say. I have to go back. There are more people who need to be saved.

Outwardly, Ilka responded with a nod.

They reached the top of the hill, and the group stopped, giving Ilka and Amzi a chance to catch up.

No matter how many times Ilka saw this scene, it took her breath away. The ocean crashed against sandy shores in the distance, and birds flew in lazy circles, riding the wind, preying on fish in the frothy waves. It was even more beautiful in the summer, when the sun reflected off the water, making it sparkle. The beach was enclosed on either side by tall cliffs.

The river delta spread like a fan across a large portion of the beach, flowing into the ocean; a coarser, murkier path of earth in the midst of otherwise smooth, white sand.

And, in a clump of trees near the beginning of the delta, was a hut.

"We're here," Galya said, patting the arm of the woman, Terrwyn. "Come now. Are you ready for some rest?"

The other ex-slaves nodded eagerly, following their leader down the hill to their freedom.

The water was comfortable and warm. Kai's muscles immediately unwound, and he sank to his chin in the steamy depths.

Though his body relaxed, his mind was tense and alert. Besai was being taken to the Plinker, or whatever it was called. She would go through hours of that horrible silence, broken only by the steady water droplets splashing on her forehead. The slow spiral into insanity as the plinks cracked her forehead open.

And here Kai was, having a bath.

He shuddered, looking at his palms. One was flexible, and the other stiff. The muscles of his right hand had been closed for a long time- three days, maybe- and moving them to extricate the earring had been excruciating. His hand wasn't ready to open fully quite yet; he'd massage it, give it a few hours, and then it would- hopefully- be good as new.

The door opened, and Overlord walked in, shutting it behind him with his foot. He held a bottle of wine in one hand, and the door key in the other.

Kai shrank back, eyes downcast.

"Would you like some wine?" Overlord asked, pulling out the cork, tossing it to the floor. He stepped up to the side of the tub and looked down at Kai.

Kai hesitated.

"Not drugged," Overlord said, taking a swig. Deep burgundy liquid dripped down his chin as he lowered the bottle. "It is a good wine, Sanguine. It will help you unwind." He set the bottle on the floor by Kai's hand, then walked to a shelf inset in the wall. "Hmm..."

He selected a handful of vials, then turned and, sniffing each, poured them into the tub. Varying scents rose with the bath's steam. Kai recognized most of them: essential oils. He was in Besai's old chambers, so it only made sense. She loved to play with oils and make herself perfume. On Ninjago it had become a game for her to put on different scents, and Kai would guess what they were. He'd been getting rather good at it, and Besai had started mixing intricate potions to confuse Kai's nose.

Kai swallowed as the nostalgia pummeled his conscience. The oils Overlord poured into the tub were more…tangy and bitter than what Besai liked to wear. But Kai recognized many of the scents because of his old hobby as a botanist: some were meant to help with muscle pain, other were body soaps.

"Get your hair wet," Overlord said. "I don't have time tonight; this cannot take longer than twenty minutes."

Kai's hands shook as he gripped the sides of the tub and dipped his head back, soaking his hair in the pungent water.

"That should be fine. Get out." Overlord put away the oil vials and, picking up his wine bottle, went to the bed.

Kai's heart did somersaults in his chest as he straightened, wiping water from his eyes.

"Come, Sanguine."

When Overlord had killed Kyle, he had stood from the floor and walked away without expression. But with Kai, he snarled, his foot tapping on the floor impatiently.

Kai glanced at his clothes on the floor nearby, swallowing hard. "I...don't want to," he muttered.

Overlord's brow creased. "Why not?"

"It hurts," Kai said. "You're hurting me."

"Oh, I'm hurting you." Overlord took another sip out of the bottle. "I thought that was the point. I am breaking you in, so you can be my new Knight. Do you think I can't do that without a little pain?"

"But-"

"Do you think I want to be here right now?" Overlord snarled. "Do you think me hurting you is a respite from my everyday drudgery? No!"

He moved to the bath, glowering over Kai. "I have things to do," he said. "Tomorrow is a busy day for me. The last thing I needed was to set aside time to punish you and Besai. And yet, you forced my hand. Get out of the tub, now."

Kai stood, lifting his feet up onto the floor. With some effort he began walking to the bed. "What did I do?" he asked. "Why am I being punished?"

Overlord circled Kai, then pushed him onto the mattress. "That's for me alone to know," he said, unbuttoning his shirt deftly with his free hand. "But don't worry. I think that, after tonight, you will not make the same mistake again."

Adrenaline rushed, and his heart pounded loudly in his ears. Kai forced himself to lie still, though every instinct he had told him to run for the door. Escape. Why can't I escape?

Because you're a spineless coward, Sanguine, the voice in his head said.

Overlord noticed the direction of Kai's gaze, and his expression softened condescendingly. "Oh, Sanguine," he said, "there is nothing out there for you. You know that, don't you?"

Kai did not answer- he was too busy trying not to think of what was coming.

Overlord sat again on the bed and grabbed Kai's shoulder, urging him to sit upright. "If you escape, where would you go?" he asked.

"I...don't know." Kai's voice came out as a meek whisper.

With a mighty swipe, Overlord struck Kai's cheek. "Then why would you even consider escaping?"

I don't know, Kai thought cowering. I don't know, I don't know, I'm sorry!

"You disowned your father," Overlord said. "Your sister- your best friend- is dead. Cole and Jay are mine. Besai is on her way to independence from you." He leaned close to Kai, grabbing a fistful of the nobleman's wet hair. "There is nothing out there for you. Nothing." He shook Kai's body. "Say it!"

Kai held the bed's blankets in both hands, as if that would help steady his spinning head.

Overlord paused suddenly, tracing a finger along Kai's cheekbone. "Have you ever considered that perhaps Besai doesn't love you?" he asked. "That she only pretended to, because she knew that she wouldn't last a day in Ninjago without your help? That she was using you?"

Kai was too confused to answer. Overlord was voicing Kai's greatest fears about Besai's motives. What was Kai to think about that?

"There is nothing out there for you," Overlord said, more quietly. "Nothing outside this room will ever matter to you. Because you don't matter to anyone but me."

Nobody cares, Sanguine.

Overwhelming, conflicting thoughts bombarded Kai's mind. Desperately he tried to elude them, pushing the disturbing dread and whispers out of the way.

"Say it," Overlord said.

A warm, soothing numbness blanketed Kai's body, and he closed his eyes, allowing it to overcome him. Apathy in its purest form.

There we go, the voice said. Isn't that better? Just stop feeling.

Kai exhaled through parted lips. No more doubts, no more pain. That did feel better. Was this what had happened to his mind when Kyle had been forced to watch his punishment? Feelings so overwhelming that he simply zoned out, forgetting everything?

"There is nothing out there for me," he whispered.

Overlord let go of his hair. "Your life is here now," he said. "You're safe here with me. Yes?"

Besai, Kai thought. I'm safe with her, I think.

But she isn't here, the voice argued. Let her go. Stop feeling.

Some little part of Kai continued to struggle with his situation. The majority of his brain, however, had surrendered unconditionally.

"Yes," he answered. "I'm…safe."

Blissful apathy.

Pixal awoke. She immediately sat upright and smoothed her hair, searching the room for her companions.

"It's about time," Jay said glumly. He sat against the wall, spinning an empty bowl in his hands. "You slept through all the action."

"Overlord came in, I know." Pixal stood, moving to examine the door. "And I wasn't sleeping."

Jay looked hurt. "So you knew I was in trouble, and you didn't do anything?"

"Nope." Pixal touched the hinges.

"Why?"

Pixal turned to him and Merv, who sat with her head on his shoulder, watching the Nindroid with vacant, sleepy eyes.

"Because I wanted to see- or hear, in this case- how you would act under pressure." She dipped her head. "You did all right. Could have been better."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Jay sighed, moving a strand of Merv's hair. "She forgave me, but I still feel terrible."

"Oh." Pixal paused. "That's…not what I was talking about, though that was pretty bad too. Why didn't you stop Overlord when he…" She noticed Jay's broken look and had the good sense to stop.

"I…see you finished your dinner?" she said, changing the subject.

"It wasn't easy," Jay answered crisply. "I hope you appreciate my endeavors."

"Yes, thank you." She approached them, kneeling, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Keep it up. I've got a plan. We're escaping tomorrow night."